


the devil doesn't cry

by You_Light_The_Sky



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Alternate take on Blood Moon Curse, Angst, Don't copy to another site, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Let Tomstar be canon lmao, Let me live in my headcanon, alternate season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 13:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19377241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/You_Light_The_Sky/pseuds/You_Light_The_Sky
Summary: Meteora makes Tom think… and he decides to go with Star to find Queen Moon. Everything changes.10 Moments in an Alternate take of Season 4, where TomStar and Kellyco remain together. For TehRaincoat





	the devil doesn't cry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TehRaincoat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TehRaincoat/gifts).



> for my dear friend tehRaincoat, who requested 10 moments of TomStar. Sorry this took so long. I'm... really bad at getting into Star and Tom's headspace

**1 - stars don’t fall**

 

In the ruins of Mewni’s great hall, where stone and statue have broken, Star looks small.

(Impossible, Star should never looks small. She doesn’t _feel_ small, not to him. Her voice and presence can fill an entire room and Tom doesn’t know how anyone can be in the same room as her and not even _look_ at her--)

Mewmans all over the hall fall down from their hollow balloons, hugging each other, kissing the ground, praising the monster Meteora’s death (oh they have _no_ idea), while Star stands like a worn tree against a lava tidal wave. Rooted. Waiting. 

She watches Marco hugging a worn-out Kelly with a small smile before she stares down at her ripped family portrait. At Queen Moon.

Not for the first time today, Tom’s mouth feels too dry. If _his_ mother was taken away, disappeared to god knows where and he had to rule in her place, he would have burned down his whole kingdom to look for her. Star put her people first and lost her crown in the process.

( _No,_ the demons snicker inside him, _she gave it away. Could YOU ever do that? What are you without mommy and daddy’s power?_ )

(( _Shut up,_ he hisses back as embers flickers around his nails, _shut up, shut up, shut up--_ ))

He grabs her hand, because her touch always makes the demons sigh, and Star looks like she’ll drift away into the cosmos if he doesn’t.

When she turns to look at him, all startled and so very un-Star, he whispers, “We’ll get your mom back. I promise. I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”

As Star’s smile grows bright and soft, Tom swears that he won’t let her drift away from him. Not again. He can do better.

( _Are you sure about that?_ The demons laugh.)

 

**2 - demons don’t blame**

 

Tom’s fingers twitch with embers before he clenches them and grits out a polite ‘thank you’ to the woman who is very much _not_ Queen Moon, but a goat monster with a poofy wig. Yet another botched lead, and from his own demon informants! Someone’s getting fired tonight...

“You don’t have to keep doing this,” Star says for the thousandth time, frowning at the ashes starting to stain his fingers. “Marco and I can handle this, I’m sure you have other duties at home to do…”

( _And let her be alone with Marco?_ The demons hiss.)

(( _Fuck off, Marco’s cool._ But Tom doubts. He always does.))

“Don’t be silly, Starship!” He tries to laugh. “Of course, I do.”

But Star never makes things easy.

“Seriously, you should go home and visit. I don’t have anything else going on in my life anymore. But you’re still a prince. And your mom must be missing you right now…”

“And _YOU_ have to be missing _YOURS!”_ Tom snaps, all three eyes lighting up. Then stops, because, shit, he’s not that person anymore. He’s not a demon that just lashes out and destroys what he loves. He’s better than this, he’s _better._ He shakes off the flames, reaches for her hand, and whispers, “No, no, sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just _worried_ and you’re not talking to me, and I know you’re not sleeping, and I just _worry_ , and hell, I just said ‘ _worry_ ’ again, didn’t I--”

“MarcoandIkissedinthephotoboothandIfeellikeI’musingyou!” Star bursts out, as if she’s held her breath in for a thousand years.

Every cell in Tom’s body goes completely cold. He doesn’t know if he’s capable of making flame at that moment.

“I…” he takes a deep breath, “I know.” 

He’s imagined this moment, hoped for an explanation for so long, but he never imagined that it would happen now.

Star’s eyes widen. “You _knew?_ ”

He nods.

“And you didn’t _tell me?_ ”

“Hey, I don’t think that’s very fair in this situation! I was waiting for you to tell _me!_ ”

“Well I just did! You could have asked about it anytime! How long have you known? Since the wedding reception?!”

“No! Since the battle with Meteora! Marco told me! And excuse me if I was more concerned about making sure you made it out alive than asking about the kiss! We’ve had bigger things to worry about since then, like finding your mom!”

“Then why aren’t you angrier?!” Star roars, bright red butterflies flying out of her hair in blazes, before they wither up and fall down like rain, “Why aren’t you blaming me, telling me that I failed? That I messed up? That I’m a terrible girlfriend?”

 _Oh,_ Tom thinks, as he sees the tears streaming down his Star’s cheeks. 

“...Because I want to trust you,” he whispers. “I want to be there for you. I want you to be able to tell me anything. Even if you messed up. I mean, I’ve messed up already, haven’t I? And here we are. Together. And I hope, we keep being together.”

Star trembles as he steps closer, as he presses their chests together and raises a hand to trace away the tears.

“You don’t have to be strong all the time, Star. You’ve got the weight of the world on you. But I’m here too. Let me hold some of that weight for you.”

For a moment, Star only looks at him. For a moment, Tom wonders if he said the wrong thing, if he screwed up again, if therapy just made him _weaker_ like the demons whispered, but then--

She buries her head against his shoulder, arms latched around him tight.

“ _I’m sorry_ , I’m _so_ sorry. We were alone together, and he leaned in and I told him I have a boyfriend. But I didn’t want you to be angry, and I had to deal with Meteora and Ponyhead and then _mom_ , I’m just so sorry I _failed--_ ”

He listens to her cry for the rest of the night and not once does he blame her. Listening to her now, he understands.

“You didn’t fail,” he cradles her close as she sleeps, “you did the best you could.”

And he’ll never let her stand against a threat like that alone again.

( _We’ll burn them all,_ the demons promise.)

 

**3 - stars don’t wish**

 

“My mom’s not dead,” Star hisses when Tom enters her room.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down there. I just came in to see how you were doing. No judgement,” he raises his hands.

Star narrows her eyes. “So you don’t think that this is a lost cause?”

Tom hesitates. “I believe that you believe that you’ll find her. And I’ll do everything in my power to help you.” _Even if we never find Moon_.

Immediately, Star deflates and swings her head back against her bed. “Urgh. Why do you have to be such a good boyfriend all the time? I can’t stay mad at that!”

His demons croon smugly. Tom nearly joins in. 

“It’s in my job description,” he sits and lays down to face her. “Whatever you need, I will make hell rain down to make it happen.”

Star giggles. When the laughs quiet down, she closes her eyes. “Do you know why I’m sure we’ll find my mom?”

Tom had thought it was a parent child bonding thing. If his mother disappeared, Tom would _never_ stop searching.

“I met Father Time once, I’ll have to introduce you one day, but he gave me this.”

She shows him a photo, not just any photo but a group shot of himself, Star, Marco, Kelly, and Ponyhead at the beach, smiling like idiots as they pass around a volleyball.

“Huh, we never went to… _oh…!_ ”

Star smiles back at him and sneaks a kiss on his nose. “Yes. _Oh_.”

 

**4 - demons don’t care**

 

Queen Moon keeps staring at him oddly. Well, considering the amnesia, it’s not that strange. It’s her first time (again?) meeting him, except she doesn’t have any context for monsters, does she? 

Tom fights the urge to shuffle in her gaze. He hasn’t done that since the first silver bell ball he and Star danced together, when Queen Moon stared him from foot to toe and nodded with a, ‘you’ll do.’ He never forgot the hidden frost in her eyes when she stared at him.

“So… you’re Star’s… friend?” Moon says stiffly.

“ _Mom_ ,” Star interrupts, riding her goat-horse in-between theirs. “I _told you_ ,” she loops her arms around Tom’s, “he’s my boyfriend! Tom! Remember?”

“Oh.” Moon narrows her eyes. “So you’re dating… that. Are you sure he’s… safe?”

Star goes completely red while something in Tom’s chest drops into pure cold. 

( _She wants to take you away from Star. Destroy her,_ the demons urge.) 

(( _No way, I’m not listening, la la la_ , Tom grits back. He has more important things to think about.))

“We’re not sleeping together!” Star blurts out at the same time as Tom’s, “I would never hurt her!”

“What?” Star stares at Tom.

“What?” Tom gulps, trying not to react to the images of him and Star together-together-in-that-way.

Moon’s face turns green. “I…! No, I didn’t think…! I meant his _flames,_ Star! His powers! His hands literally shoot out flames!”

“And we both turn into over-powered butterflies that can do literally _anything_ with our magic, so what? Tom wouldn’t hurt me. He’s better now.”

Frowning further, Moon shakes her head. “I may not remember much, but I feel an echo of a memory… his eyes alight in hellfire… you screaming at him to go away…”

Tom’s hands tighten against his stead’s reins. He doesn’t care, he doesn’t care…

“That was the old Tom. He’s changed.”

“People don’t _change_ that easily--”

“Well I did! And Tom did too! I used to be spoiled and selfish. Sometimes I still am, but I changed. And you should see how far Tom’s come! I feel safe with him, Mom. He’s been there for me since I came back to Mewni. He’s been there for me since I lost you and I trust him! So until you get your memories back, you’ll just have to deal! Come on, Tom.”

Star gets her stead to trot away, pulling Tom and his stead along with them.

In a daze, Tom mumbles, “Did you really mean that?”

( _No she didn’t, she lied,_ the demons shake and curse, _who would ever trust US?_ )

The old Star might have snapped at him, might have told him not to think much of it, or changed the subject. This Star just looks at him intensely and smiles.

 

**5 - stars don’t sing**

 

“Wow. She can really _sing_ ,” Star stares transfixed at Eclipsa, at the cameras rolling on the new Queen’s gentle tune of longing and acceptance. “She’s beautiful.”

“Yeah…” Tom says, focused on Star’s bright eyes, the soft glow of her hair. “She is.”

Star glances at him and snorts. “You’re not even looking at her.”

“Why would I?” Tom grins, “She’s not the one I’m in love with.”

He should be bored of Star’s blushes by now. But they’re always so different. This blush is part bashful and part embarrassed.

“ _Tom!_ ” she hisses. “This is Eclipsa’s moment! Stop being cute for like two seconds! We gotta focus!”

“And it _is_ her moment,” he puts his arm around her. “Everyone’s looking at her. But not at us. So,” he nudges her, whispers softly against her ear, “wanna dance?" 

He sees the workaholic in her struggling to stay focused on the Queen, on Ponyhead, on monsters and mewmans alike. But Tom just waits.

Star melts at his earnest gaze.

They rock together, spinning and laughing in that little studio corner, just like the first time they ever danced.

 

**6 - demons don’t dream**

 

This is the worst day of Tom’s life.

“So,” Star narrows her eyes and crosses her arms, “the blood moon _curse,_ huh?”

“I didn’t _mean_ to get your soul bonded with Marco’s! I just--”

“Wanted it to be you and me. Bonded. Forever. Sharing _dreams_.”

“Ah…” Tom sits back against the bed. “Yeah. I’m… I’m sorry about that.”

The Blood Moon is a gift and a curse. Two souls bonded together forever, whether romantically or not. Sharing dreams, then slowly sharing thoughts and memories. Back then, Tom would have done anything to get Star back. Even now, his demons whisper terrible things for her.

But now Tom wants to destroy the moon itself.

“Look. I don’t have to like it, but I get it. That was the old you. I know you would never do that now. But seriously? Why didn’t you _tell_ me about this? Do you know how much I’m going to have to bleach my mind from seeing Marco’s dream about Kelly? I didn’t _not_ need to find out about his crush that way!”

“Please don’t tell Kelly about that, I respect her as a warrior and a woman!” Marco squeaks.

Janna reaches for more popcorn.

“Oh, hell, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think it _worked_ on you two. I mean, he’s human! The Blood Moon thing is supposed to happen right away, not gradually! Wait, did he see any weird dreams from _you?_

Star splutters. “N-no!”

Tom looks at Marco.

“Don’t you tell him anything, dream-spyer!” Star hisses.

“No, of course I won’t say anything!” Marco laughs nervously, while he signs towards Tom, ‘two words - summer wedding!’

Never mind, this is the best day of Tom’s life.

 

**7 - stars don’t fly**

 

“Let’s go on a trip together,” Tom whispers. “I don’t care where we go, as long as we’re together. But let’s go. Give yourself a break, Star.”

_Let me be with you._

( _Let us have you forever,_ the demons join in.)

Star hesitates. “But… I can’t think of anywhere I want to go. I feel like I’ve seen it all…”

“Pfft!” Tom snorts. “There’s no way you’ve seen it _all_. The universe is huge, Star. Sure, you might have been to every dimension we know of, but there’s always something new that only the locals know. Let’s just pick a dimension and see where that leads. You can show me the sights. I wanna know everything.”

Star’s smile starts to grow back. Such a rare thing these days except when she’s with him or Marco. 

“Then I’ll be the best tour guide you can have.”

They seal the deal with a kiss.

 

**8 - demons don’t fail**

 

They’re in the dimension of strange creatures called Pokemon when Tom tries to open a portal.

Nothing happens.

Star tries next with her scissors. No portal. No tear in the fabric of space and time. Nothing.

“...We’re stuck,” Star whispers.

“No, no, no, we can’t be _stuck!_ ” He refuses to let her rot her forever. He bursts into flames again and again but… no luck. “No, no, no!”

“Hey,” her voice, as always, is the only thing besides his parents to calm his demons. “It’s not so bad. This dimension has good food and cool creatures, we even have a place to stay. We’ll figure it out.”

He looks down at their intertwined hands.

“...Right,” he whispers against her cheek. “We’re together.”

( _Forever_ , say his demons.)

 

**9 - stars don’t destroy**

 

“You’re kidding me,” Tom blanches. 

After all they’ve been through today--somehow stumbling towards Earth through a magic well, then going through _another_ magic well to Mewni while losing their shit, getting attacked by Solarian warriors, hunted down, and then stolen away to the Tavern at the End of the Multiverse, now _this_ is Star’s solution??

“You can’t get rid of the magic,” Tom states.

“Why not?” Star presses. “Toffee was right. This is what caused all of our problems!”

“No it’s not! _Racism_ and _backwards traditions_ caused all this! Getting rid of magic is like saying let’s get rid of weapons! Tada, no war! People don’t work like that! You get rid of magic but you’re not getting rid of the problem. It’s not that easy. You _know_ it isn’t.”

“Mina’s soldiers are powered by magic too powerful for us to contain. I have to get rid of the source!”

“And you’ll be killing who knows how many lifeforms in the process! Do you _know_ how many races are made of _literal_ magic? You’d destroy them! And all of our trading agreements with different dimensions will be _gone_. This isn’t the way Star. You know this. You’re better than this.”

“Then what else do I do?” Star shouts, the tavern trembling in her wake. “I have to make a decision! I can’t just hide here while innocent people die! They deserve to live! They didn’t _choose_ to be hated!”

A choice… 

Tom’s eyes widen.

( _Don’t do it. You’ll create more chaos, more competition for her heart. You won’t be special anymore,_ the demons insist.)

“What if you could give them a choice?” Tom asks.

Star’s trembling, the tavern’s shaking walls, stop.

“You said you’re not strong enough, even with Moon and Eclipsa here. What if you had more magic users? What if you gave monsters magic?”

Star’s eyes widen. “That would just cost more lives. What if I gave magic to the wrong people by accident? What if they lost control?”

“At least they have a choice this way.”

Star shakes her head. “I don’t know about this…”

Quietly, Tom takes her hand. “Star, you’ve been telling me about how your family has stayed in power and made the wrong decisions with magic over and over again. Well, they’ve also been some of the only ones _with_ access to magic. Magic isn’t purely good or evil, it depends on the user. If you give magic to monsters too, doesn’t that even the playing field? Doesn’t that break some of those cycles of power you were talking about?”

Her lips wobble into a weak smile. “You’ve been paying attention…”

“Of course. It’s you, after all.”

Star leans her forehead against his shoulder. “Things are going to get crazier. I don’t know how we’ll handle what happens after Mina.”

“By working things out. Slowly.” Isn’t that what Star has taught him after all?

“Alright,” Star nods. “We’ll share the magic.”

 

**10 - demons don’t cry**

 

“Star!” he doesn’t remember much after the blast, after Eclipsa used _that spell_ despite everyone screaming at her not to. 

( _The unpredictable queen, the dark queen, the queen who can’t control herself,_ the demons tease and this time Tom doesn’t argue.)

Monsters and Mewmans had fought on the same side, the same battlefield, with magic for the first time. The solarian warriors didn’t stand a chance. 

Except Mina.

“Star!” he digs through the rubble, remembering Mina’s hateful gaze, “ _Star!_ ”

He finds her alone, lying on a bed of rubble. Too quiet. Too still. So un-Star.

“Please,” he presses his lips against hers, pushes against her chest. “Please, please!”

He should have told her to destroy magic. He should have hidden her in the underworld. He should have faced Mina alone. He should have told her--

“I love you!”

The words come out so easily now. 

“I love you, I love you, _I love you_ , just _wake up!_ ”

Hot embers trail down his face. Hot enough to burn through rock.

A quiet voice whispers, “Don’t cry,” and Tom looks down to see Star’s weary but smiling face. And her eyes, those bright ever lively eyes, glittering up at him.

He doesn’t let go of her for the rest of the week.

He doesn’t stop listening to her breathe.

 

**0 - stars and demons don’t fall in love**

 

**(until they do)**

 

**Author's Note:**

> Always happy to get prompts at my [twitter](https://twitter.com/youlightthesky1), my [writing tumblr](http://youlighttheskyfanfiction.tumblr.com/), or my [art tumblr](https://youlighttheskyart.tumblr.com/)


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